Behind The Proposal novel Chapter 44

"Fine," she croaked and sat at the bench, pouting at him.

Tom sighed heavily. "You're not well, Soph, you need to rest."

"I can look after myself. I've been doing it for years," she dismissed.

"I know, but I'm here now," he murmured against her ear. "Let me take care of you."

She looked up into his dark eyes and got lost in them. She'd never had someone so devoted to her. She'd never had someone to rely on like this, someone who'd step up and take care of her daughter and everything else when she was sick. This was the first time she'd actually had someone look after her. And it was nice.

"You'd better not ruin lunch," she grumbled fighting a grin.

"As long as you stay right there, I'll let you instruct me," he winked at her and then ran a hand, and flour, through his hair. "Besides, I have no idea what I'm doing, so some instructions would be good if you want to eat before midnight."

Sophie laughed and Jasmine joined in, not knowing what she was laughing at, but laughing anyway as she climbed up on Sophie's lap. "We'll both sit right here."

"Now that would be very helpful," he nodded and walked back over to where he was preparing their lunch.

"You should be the one making lunch, how can you let your husband do that?" her mother scolded as they sat in the lounge room an hour later.

"He insisted. And Kim's helping," Sophie croaked. Her voice was a lot hoarser than it had been first thing that morning. She'd just gone steadily downhill since then.

"They're both guests in your home," her mother hissed.

"Tom is my husband in case you have forgotten," Sophie snapped.

"I don't know what he sees in you."

Sophie felt her anger rise, but held it in like she always did. She really was not in the mood for this today.

"What I see is a gorgeous, loving woman who is generous beyond belief. You really could learn a lot from your daughter," Tom growled from the doorway.

"She's asleep," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "And I'm not waking her up."

"They won't like it," Kim murmured as she started dishing up the meat and vegetables onto the plates.

"I don't care. They're about to leave anyway," Tom bit out, his temper growing. "Why does she put up with it?"

Kim shrugged, keeping her voice low so they wouldn't be overheard from the next room. "Because that's how they are. She's scared of making waves. They might treat her badly but they're her only family. Apart from me, and you now too. She doesn't want them to disown her."

"They wouldn't do that, surely?" he asked.

"It's been threatened before."

He shook his head. "When?"

Kim took her lip between her teeth nervously as she glanced at the door and stepped closer to him. "She hasn't told you about Jasmine's father?"